A Black Heart Still Beats
by deathgeonous
Summary: Even the blackest of hearts can still hold the capacity for love. Hild throw away her heart long ago, yet she now may just find it again. A RanmaHild matchup.
1. RECLAIMING ONE’S TRUE HEART

AN: This is my second attempt at a Ranma/Hild match-up. No this is not a rewrite of Hell's One True Love, for I am continuing that fic, but it might use a few elements from that fic, but not many, for this is a much more serious attempt at a Ranma Hild match-up. Hell's one true love is just an overgrown nutso spam-fic that grew into a good, if utterly nuts, story.

Disclaimer: I do not own the intellectual property that is Ranma One Half or any of its associated characters, locations, items, ideas, or anything else that may be associated with it. Those belong to each of its respective copyright owners. I do not own the intellectual property that is Ah, My Goddess or any of its associated characters, locations, items, ideas, or anything else that may be associated with it. Those belong to each of its respective copyright owners. I do not own any of the intellectual properties that are other fictional persons, places or things. Those belong to each of their own copyright owners. I do not own any real person, place or thing. Those belong to either themselves, in the case of a person, or their real life current true owners in case of a place or object. What I do own is any and every original person, place or thing, used in here as well as the story its self. Those very few things are mine. And that's all that ever will be mine.

Summary: Even the blackest of hearts can still hold the capacity for love. Hild throw away her heart long ago, yet she now may just find it again. A Ranma/Hild match-up.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

PROLOGUE

RECLAIMING ONE'S TRUE HEART

Niflheim: Hild's office

"Yes?" Was all Hild asked while looking up from her paperwork on her desk, as her secretary came into the room.

"Pandora just came in with a report. That Saotome boy is in trouble again." Her secretary, Axzyia told her.

Hild sighed and asked in a long suffering and resigned tone of voice "What's he gotten into now?"

Pandora then walked in and said in a nervous tone of voice "He just fought and killed Saffron."

"WHAT!?!" Hild yelled in anger and shock.

"Um, it seems Saffron lost his mind in his latest reincarnation attempt and kidnapped that Tendo girl that the Saotome boy is staying with, and he went to rescue her, and, well, um, they fought and he killed Saffron." Pandora told her mistress, very nervously.

"Oh by all that is un-holy! The fall-out from this is going to be…. Marller!" Hild muttered and then called out.

Marller then appeared before Hild and asked "Yes Hild-Sama?"

"Ranma just killed Saffron." Hild said bluntly. Marller's eyes widened in her shock at that statement "I want you to go set up a meeting with Kami-Sama for me. And then go see your Sister Urd and get a feel from her on how the Gods" Hild spat out that word "are taking this. And I keep telling you, call me Mom unless we're in non-polite company." She chastised Marller.

"Yes Mom." Marller sighed, and then she was gone.

"Pandora, I need you to stay here so I can get some info from you for my meeting with Kami-Sama. Axzyia, hold everything for me until I say otherwise, got it?"

"Yes Hild-Sama." They both cried out in unison.

Midgard: Antarctica

Marller was cursing out Kami-Sama for choosing this icy block of real-estate for a meeting ground while Hild was busy watching Ranma through her computer screen while waiting for her meeting with the said Kami-Sama.

It had been three months since Ranma had reverted Saffron back into an infant, and almost the same amount of time since Ranma failed to marry Akane. And Ranma was now just about at his breaking point. "When I get my hands on that girl…" Hild muttered, referring to the middle Tendo child.

Before Marller or any other member of Hild's entourage could dare ask just who she was referring to, Kami-Sama teleported in with his own impressive entourage, including his daughters.

Hild put her screen away, and cast a hidden, longing look at her firstborn daughter, Urd. Then gathering herself up for her meeting with her ex-husband, she asked/said "You know why I called on you."

Kami-Sama nodded and said "Yes. Might we walk over there," He said, gesturing to his right "And discuss the matter under the illusion of privacy?" he asked in a mirthful voice and with a twinkle in his one remaining eye.

Hild shrugged and said "Sure."

As they walked out onto the field of ice, Kami-Sama asked out of the blue "Just what is it about that Saotome boy that interests you?"

"You mean you don't know?" Hild asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her lips.

"I could guess, but no, I truly don't know. He is yours by right, and I have enough to occupy my time with out looking after your property. He just recently came to my attention, so all I have on him are his records." Kami-Sama shook his head and said "It's an utter shame that his father sold him to you. He would have done well as an einherjar." Kami-Sama said wistfully.

"Yes, yes he would have. But he's mine." Hild said, sounding almost sad about that fact. Shaking herself from her memories of when she used to choose einherjar for Kami-Sama, oh so long ago, she said "Your guess about why I'm interested in him is probably right. I'm coming to you for two reasons. One, I want free rein to pursue him with out every Angel and Valkyrie in Asgard on my ass, and two, I want to know just what the upside fall out is on Ranma's cleaning Saffron's clock." She said stopping in front of Kami-Sama and staring him in his one good eye.

"As to number two, the fall-out, as you say, is negligible at best. He helped Saffron out in the long run by stopping him when he was out of his mind. As to your first request, let's talk about it." Kami-Sama said, pointing to a boulder of ice that could serve as a two person couch for them.

As they sat down, Kami-Sama asked "Do you remember how you got your current position?"

Hild nodded. Oh, yes, she remembered. She was one of the few who did. One who could remember when she was still Freya, Odin's wife, before Ragnorok came and the world ended. She and Odin and a few other Gods, or Aesir as they used to be called, beat back the Vanir, or as they now are called the Demons. She and Odin, now called Kami-Sama and a few other survivors had to make reality anew from the hectic mess that it had become after Ragnorok, and she had been chosen to lead the Demons as Hild in this new reality they had created, severing her ties with the Odin and the Gods. Urd could not remember that time, for she was far too young and her other sisters had been born after that time period.

"I think that you took to your new role in this new reality too well." Kami-Sama stated. And then he said "And I think that this Ranma person is starting to awaken the old you." Hild looked shocked at his statement. "And that can be a good thing and a bad thing at the same time Hild. So, are you willing to take a chance at reverting more towards your old personality, and possibly have a great headache to deal with in your realm because of that? Or do you not want to take that chance?" Kami-Sama asked concerned.

"Odin," Hild said, addressing him by his old name. "You got your chance to move on, and to adapt well to the new reality. I have not done the first at all or the second very well. If I get in trouble with my subjects over this, I'll deal with it as it comes. I need to move on." Hild said softly.

"Yes, yes you do. I'll see to it that, as long as you are not doing anything beyond pursue a relationship with this Ranma that has caught your eye, you'll not have trouble from my people." Kami-Sama told Hild.

"Thanks." Hild said. "And give Urd my love, if she'll take it." Hild told Kami-Sama, saying the last part quite bitterly.

"I will." Kami-Sama told her, understanding both Hild's bitterness and Urd's rejection.

And then they walked back to their respective parties, and disappeared back to their home planes.


	2. NOTICING TRUTH AND SELF

AN: I wish to apologize to all the mythology buffs who noticed some glaring errors in my prologue. Some, such as Odin surviving Ragnorok, were intentional. Some, such as the Freya/Frigga mix-up and some other things were not. I had gotten a big book of world mythology that's title shall remain unnamed as to avoid a slander suit, that obliviously had a lot of wrong information in it that I used. Unfortunately for you mythology buffs, the errors that I used, I'm keeping, so sorry if that turns you off from this fic. If you can stand a few intentional and non-intentional errors though, please continue to read this fic. Thank you for pointing them out though.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER ONE

NOTICING TRUTH AND SELF

Nerima, Japan: inside a tea house: at a booth in the back

Hild was sitting in a booth with both her daughters. Kami-Sama felt that Hild would be on her best behavior if one of his agents that was sent to watch that she did not break the treaty was her Goddess daughter. And he was right. So Hild was at one booth with Marller and Urd, while Belldandy and Skuld shared a booth with Pandora. Yes, Kami-Sama had sicced all three of the Norns on Hild. He had justified it as they had the most dealings with her lately, which technically was true at this point in time.

"So mom" Urd said the last word with some venom "Why are you after this guy? I mean why do you want him enough make a treaty with dad over him?" Urd asked Hild.

"Marller, see Urd can call me mom, even if she does make it sound like an insult. Why can't you?" Hild started off with. Then turning to look at Urd, Hild said "As to your question Urd, just watch me. You just may figure it out. You may not believe it, but I am not the evil bitch you think of me as, and maybe hanging around me like this will show that to you" Hild said while thinking 'Kami-Sama you truly are devious. You are trying to get Urd to see me in a new light. And this scheme of yours may just work.'

"I somehow doubt that." Urd said flatly.

"Well we'll see." Was all Hild said in a mirthful reply.

"So mom" Marller said, stressing the word "just how are you going to approach this guy?" she asked Hild.

"I honestly don't know. I'm thinking of just being upfront and honest with him." Hild said flatly. Her two daughters' jaws dropped in their utter shock at that statement.

"You, don't know?" Marller asked slowly.

"Upfront and honest?" Urd asked, even slower and articulating the words heavily.

"Yes." Hild sighed. 'Was it that hard to believe?' She asked herself. She then continued aloud with "Ranma would be able to sense my power. In fact he, and many others, most likely already knows we're here, if not who we are and just what we want. He HAS managed to banish a few minor Demons AND defeat a Demi-God, so he can recognize our energy signatures. The one's no ones bothering to hide. And it's too late to do so girls." Hild said as they looked surprised. She continued on to say "We're just higher up on the food chain then the beings he has had dealings with. And with some of the others in that can sense us in the same situation as Ranma, we are currently being monitored by everyone near-by that knows what we are, and a lot of humans that just sense our power level but do not know just what we are. Just that we're damn powerful otherworldly beings." Seeing the gaping looks on her daughters faces she said "This IS Nerima dears." As if that explained everything, which it did in all honest truth, if you know anything about Nerima that is.

"So that's why you're willing to be 'Upfront and honest' with him?" Urd asked in a slightly disapproving tone. "He would see through any of your lies?"

"No." Hild said slightly sharply while shaking her head "He would not see through any lie I could come up with that would explain myself. He is quite dense to when he is being lied to." Hild told Urd in a disappointed tone of voice. "I'm just choosing not to lie to him, for no relationship can be built off of lies Urd. A lesson YOU should learn." Hild told her daughter. Urd stayed silent in response to that statement.

"So," Marller began in order to break the building tension between her sister and her mother "Just how are you going to break every thing to him?"

"Slowly. Very slowly." Hild began. "Plus I must see if he's willing to even try to see me. He has a lot of negative associations with relationships, and has a lot of other woman after him as well." Hild said with a very small sigh. She then signaled for the check, effectively ending the conversation.

Nerima, Japan: the streets: on the way to the Tendo house and Dojo with Hild's party

Hild was aware of all the mortals who noticed her little group and was even more aware of the two that were currently following her at a discreet distance behind them. Cologne and Happosai. She had picked up Happosai first, as the diminutive lecher had been roof hopping near them and felt them out and had been following behind ever since. Cologne was even simpler to explain. They had to pass the Neko Hanten on their way from the tea house to the Tendo's and she felt their power and started following as well.

Hild didn't particularly care about the looks of amazement she and her entourage were getting from the populace of Nerima, or their two stalkers, unlike the rest of her party who, with the exception of Pandora, were not that familiar with the idiosyncrasies of this chaos driven sub-ward of Tokyo. No she was too busy reminiscing over just how she came to be in this position, in love with a mortal whose eternal soul she owned.

She supposed it started with her check up on him at his birth, a standard procedure for prebought souls, and detected his highly chaotic nature. She remembered thinking "He's going to be one to watch in my free time, for he seems to have the 'May you live in interesting times' curse on him already.' And so she spent a little time occasionally checking up on him, just to see what he was up to.

She had to watch the Neko-Ken training on video replay, for she had been very busy that month and had missed it. It would have broken her heart to see that footage, for she already had developed a slight soft spot for the boy by then. Not a crush by any means, but a soft spot she should not have had, if her heart had not already been shattered beyond recognition long ago.

After seeing that utter fiasco of human stupidity, she assigned Pandora to watch Ranma when she could not. And some how over the years, her slight soft spot for him had bloomed into an attraction to him. And she could not see just when it was. She knew it was sometime after he came to Nerima that she admitted, to her self at least, that she was attracted to Ranma Saotome, and maybe even more, but it was not until she heard that he had killed Saffron and her first response was her inner willingness to stand against all of Asgard if they went after him in response for his actions that she realized that it was not just an attraction, it was love.

And now she was in a true pickle. She had to figure out a way to convince a mortal that had had nothing but bad dealings with Demons, woman and relationships in general, to try having one with her. 'This would be the hardest sell of my entire career' Hild thought mirthlessly with a visible smirk.

Urd, who was standing by her, saw the smirk and wondered what it was for. Coming to the wrong conclusion, she thought 'She must be so happy everything going her way right now.' She incorrectly thought.

Hild and Urd, and everyone else in the group for that matter, were brought out of whatever they were thinking when Hild noticed they had arrived and she said aloud "We're here." And then the door slowly opened before anyone could knock on it.

Nerima, Japan: Tendo house and dojo: a little while early

Ranma was doing something he hardly ever does. Sit and think. Well it was closer to brooding on the couch, but there was thinking involved with the brooding. He had felt them massive power levels a few blocks away. At first he was confused as to just what they were, so massive were the levels of power he was feeling, but after a few minutes of silent concentration, he discovered just what they were.

Gods and Demons. A lot of them, and all extremely, no make that ridiculously powerful at that. The most powerful was Demonic in origin, then it was a Divine power source, then a Demonic one, two Divines then followed closely there after followed distantly by a last Demonic one.

'What are they all doing here, and why are a bunch of Goddesses teamed up with a bunch of Demonesses?' Ranma asked himself, for he could feel the gender of the powers, but not their intent.

Then the powers left where they were, and headed his way. It seemed that Happosai and then Cologne joined in in the watching of the party by starting to follow them, as they headed to just where he knew they had to be going. Here.

Looking up, Ranma silently mouthed to the heavens "What did I ever do to you?" then he called out to Kasumi, for she was the only one home "We're going to have some company! I'll get the door!"

"Oh, good thing I made a lot of food for dinner! Too bad that everyone else left though. Why did they all leave I wonder?" Kasumi asked.

Ranma knew the answer to that. His fat tub of lard for a father had felt the powers in the ward and had hightailed it out of here with that crybaby Soun, and Nabiki and Akane, seeing the looks of panic of their father's face, had decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and had left as well. Nobody had thought to inform Kasumi of the impending doom coming to the house. Ranma silently hit himself for not thinking of it either. He'd just have to make sure that if a fight started, Kasumi got away before he got creamed. Ranma may consider himself the best, but he was under no illusions that if this group started a fight with him, he was toast. The weakest one out of the group had at least five times Saffron's power level, and the next one up had about fifty or so.

He headed over to the door to answer it for the group about to knock there, while thinking 'I am so doomed.'

A discreet distance away from the group of otherworldly beings: at about the same time

Happosai and Cologne were almost touching each other, so close together were they, yet in their determined pursuit of the powerful other worldly beings walking through the streets of Nerima, they had utterly missed each other. Until they noticed the group they were both following enter the Tendo compound though, and they asked in synchronized unison "Ranma, what have you gotten yourself into now?" then looking at the other from inches away, they asked each other, again in unison, "What!?! When did you…Never mind we got to go see the boy/son in law" the said saying almost the same thing until the very end. Then they noticed the door being opened by Ranma of all people, and the group went inside after him.

Finally after a few moments of silent shock, Happosai asked "Maybe we should go in?"

"Yes, let's" Was al Cologne responded with.

EAN: A little shorter then I wanted it, but I wanted to do Ranma and Hild's first meeting in the next chapter. Thanks for reading this, and reviews are always appreciated. Bye for now.


	3. THE BLACK AND THE WHITE MEET THE GREY

AN: Some of you are going to have some questions on how and why I did something in this chapter. See the Ending Author's Note for the details.

AN2: Seeing as this chapter disappeared from this site a few hours after I put it up, but before any of you saw it, I'm reposting. Also this site ate my last review of the last chapter, before I ever saw it. If the person who made review number thirty five reads this, I never saw your review and I would appreciate it if you had something to say beyond 'Good Job, Update Soon' or 'This Sucks Rocks' for you to say it in your review of this chapter. Thank you.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER TWO

THE BLACK AND THE WHITE MEET THE GREY

Midgard: Nerima Japan: the Tendo house: moments latter

Ranma was waiting by the closed door as Kasumi led the group of heavenly and hellish beings that he had let in to the living room table, saying "Oh, you're just in time for dinner. Every one else is out of the house, but Ranma's friends are always welcome to stay. Won't you please join us while we eat?"

While Ranma stayed by the door waiting for the last two guests for this little impromptu dinner party, the representatives from Asgard and Niflheim, especially Urd and Skuld, were looking between the serenely smiling Kasumi and the equally serenely smiling Belldandy, noticing the almost identical looks and aura of peace and tranquility coming from them, while Belldandy said "Of course we will accept."

While they were shaking their heads at the sight of two beings that seemed so similar in soul, Ranma was answering the knocking door while saying "Ghoul, Leech, so good of you to finally join us. Kasumi's got dinner ready, and every one else is out of the house for reasons that are easily guessable, so why don't you come on in and join us for dinner?"

"Sure my boy." Happosai answered first.

"I'd be honored to son in law." Cologne then answered.

"Good. Well come on in." Ranma replied, stepping aside to let them in.

As Kasumi was carrying in the first part of the first course of dinner, she saw the two diminutive old elders and said "Grandpa, Matriarch Cologne are you joining us for dinner as well? I better set another two places then."

Ranma then said "Nah, why don't you just bring out the next part of this course while I do that?"

"Thank you Ranma dear." Kasumi said in reply with a warm smile.

After Ranma and Kasumi left the room for the kitchen, Urd whispered to Skuld "She's so like Bell, it's creepy." Skuld just nodded in reply. All the others present heard it as well, but it took Cologne and Happosai a moment to just sense out exactly who this 'Bell' was. After they did so, they too found them selves agreeing with every one else present. Every one else except Belldandy, whom just looked surprised.

As Ranma came back in ahead of Kasumi holding Happosai's and Cologne's eating supplies, he set them out in front of the two old ones, while Kasumi laid out the second and last part of the first course of dinner.

Ranma helped Kasumi serve the table, and then Kasumi said "Eat up everyone!" in a high and cheerful voice.

After they started to eat, Ranma then looked at Hild, determining her to be the leader of this group by the three factors of power, presence and her obvious skill and experience, and asked her "So what do a bunch of Demonesses and Goddesses want with me?"

Hild looked up at Ranma while eating and seemed to think about just how to answer that for a moment. "First Ranma, let me introduce you to all of us, and then I will try to answer you question. This is my daughter Urd." She said, gesturing to the divine source of power that Ranma felt was the second strongest power level in the group after Hild.

Urd looked up and said "Hiya!"

"And that's my other daughter Marller." She said gesturing to power level number three that Ranma had previously felt. Marller said "Hello." In a cool voice.

"These are Urd's half sisters Belldandy and Skuld." Giving names to power levels four and five that Ranma had felt out. As they greeted him, he had to double check just whom had said hello when Belldandy spoke.

"And this is Pandora. She is a Demoness I had assigned to watch your life." As Ranma looked surprised, Pandora smiled and said "So nice to finally meet you in person Ranma."

"And I am Hild. I rule Niflheim, or hell if you prefer." Hild finished up with her introductions.

Ranma and all the other mortals at the table looked completely un-nonplused at the statements coming from Hild. They saw stranger while they showered in this ward.

Seeing their looks of obvious acceptance of the facts and their resigned looks Hild started up. "It started twenty three years ago Ranma, six years before your birth. Your father Genma had watched a Goddess grant a mortal a wish. He wanted one as well, but he knew from his observations that he would never qualify for a Heavenly wish. So he looked up the opposite side. He soon discovered that he would never qualify for a free hellish wish either, but he could do something else. Sell a soul for a wish. Now he had summoned a Demoness to sell his own soul, but we would not take it. For why buy what you already own?" Hild said with a slight chuckle. "As soon as the Demoness informed him that we would not take his soul for that exact reason, he decided to, after a moment's shock, to sell his first born child's soul for a wish. The Demoness punted the request up the ladder and it was approved. So Genma got his wish for your soul Ranma." Hild said tonelessly while Ranma and the other mortals looked on in shock. Seeing that she was not going to be interrupted by screams of outrage, or anything else for that matter, Hild Continued.

"Now as to why we accepted your soul instead of his, it is as I said. His soul was already ours by his actions in life. We do not buy the souls of the wicked, no matter what you may hear in popular myth. No, we only buy the souls of the pure, and you can't get much purer than not even born yet. Now when you were born, I was informed and checked up on you, as per normal procedure. Seeing that you were born with the blessing or cures as you prefer to see it 'May you live in interesting times', I decided to keep my eye on you, for entertainment purposes if nothing else." Hild took a breath and then continued after a second.

"I sadly got more attached to you then I should have and developed a slight soft spot where you were concerned." Hild chuckled and said "You were such a cute child. Now after I got back from a month long business trip around my realms, I discovered that Genma had trained you in the Neko-Ken. I was not pleased." Hild said coldly. "It had been banned for a reason from the mortal realm for a reason, and that reason is it is one of my realms lower level torture techniques that had been modified by an evil cat cult. We don't like being stole from, and what they did with it was criminal even to our eyes." Hild said in a still cold voice. Warming up her voice, she then said

"So after I found that out, I assigned Pandora to watch over you when I was busy. As the years went by, I found my soft spot for you changing a little. A little after you arrived here in Nerima, I became slightly attracted to you. But I thought very little of it at first, for I knew it could go nowhere in the long run. Then, after you defeated Saffron, I was in a panic, for I thought that Asgard would want retribution for your act. When in my panic I realized I was willing to go to war with Asgard if they went after you Ranma, I realized that it was more then just a 'slight attraction' on my part for you." As Hild said this, everyone in the room, Goddesses Demonesses and Mortals alike were shocked. The Goddesses because they did not truly believe Hild was in love with Ranma until she admitted her willingness to go to war with them over his welfare. The way she said it let them know she was telling the truth all along, for they could finally detect no lie coming from that statement. Urd looked at Ranma in shock, wondering just what her mother saw in him.

The Demonesses however were shocked because, while they knew that Hild was in love with Ranma, they had no idea that she cared about him enough to start a war that could tear reality it's self apart over him. Mara decided to keep a closer, much closer eye on her mother's potential boyfriend, for even if she did not get along too well with her mother due to her mother being the Queen and her working for her, she still loved her and wanted her to be happy. Pandora on the other hand finally saw just how important her current job was, and got very nervous about all the time she almost screwed up on the job. Vowing to be much more careful and watchful, she schooled the look of shock and horror on her face.

The mortals in the room were just shocked period. To think that the Queen of Hell itself was so in love with Ranma as to be willing to start a war with Heaven over his welfare… well it was a shock to them, Ranma even thought, after he could think that is, 'Nobody has ever cared for me that much.'

After everyone got out of their shocked state, Hild continued with "So I then set up a meeting with Kami-Sama, to see what was going on about you Ranma and some other things. He eased my concern by stating that Asgard itself owes you a slight debt Ranma." Seeing the look of slight shock starting to reappear on the mortals faces, Hild explained before they got more anything "You see Ranma, Saffron is a Sixth Class Limited Deity. You would call him a Demi-God. His domain of influence is Self Powered Rebirth. Thing that are reborn over and over again by their own power, for example a Phoenix, are under his domain. To better understand his domain, he is occasionally reborn as well. Well the last time he went through his rebirthing, he went a little crazy. Unfortunately Asgard did not notice this little fact, and you had to deal with him. By killing him and restarting his current rebirthing process, you restored his metal faculties to normal, thus Kami-Sama feels that Asgard owes you a very slight debt, for a crazy Demi-God can do some serious damage while on Midgard, or earth as you call it." Taking a slightly deep breath, Hild continued with "And then he gave me permission to see you to tell you these things, and to talk to you about something else. I would like to talk to you about it in private if I may."

As Hild fell silent, Ranma thought he knew just what she wanted to talk to him about. Wondering 'Just why all these girls want me so much?' He said aloud "Well how about after dinner? We're letting all of this good food get cold by just letting it sit while we talk, and I for one am hungry."

"It would be a shame to let such a wonderfully prepared meal get ruined like that." Hild conceded, and then they resumed eating. All were silent with their own thoughts as the dinner continued.

Midgard: Nerima Japan: the Tendo dojo: shortly after dinner

Ranma was on the ball for once concerning a possible relationship coming his way, and said to start off with, before he got into big trouble with everyone "Hild, as flattering as it is that you are interested in me, I think I will have to decline. Not out of none interest, but out of too many previous engagements. It's a shame because you seem really nice, a lot nicer then most of the stories told about you, and you seem even nicer then the other girls after me most of the time, but I am engaged to three women at this point in time. And I can't even marry one of them with out ruining the other two's honor. Not that I even want to marry any of them." Ranma said shaking his head. "I see no way out of this for me other then to never marry anyone of them. I must wait until they decide I'm not worth the trouble and the wait. I can not get into a relationship with you at this point in time without tarnishing my and their honor as well."

"Ranma," Hild began "I'm glad you see me as not being the evil bitch that everyone else, even my daughters, see me as." Hild shook her head and said "I am evil though, but I am a necessary evil."

"How so?" Ranma asked, intrigued. Even if he could not have a relationship with her, he still thought he could like her, and maybe be friends with her.

"Well Ranma, think about it. I am the Queen of Hell. It is my duty to be evil because of that. I was not always an evil Demonic Queen, but once I took the position, I knew I would have to be evil and do evil to do my job and my duty to this universe correctly. So I became evil. But even if I had to be evil, I decided that I, personally, would only practice necessary evil. Evil for the good of the universe in a way." Hild said with a chuckle.

"Just how did you become the Queen of Hell?" Ranma asked curiously.

Hild looked sad and just said in a soft and morose tone of voice "That is a story for another day Ranma."

Seeing the look of utter sadness displayed upon Hild's face, Ranma just nodded for his reply.

Wiping the sad look off Ranma's face, Hild grinned a manic grin which made Ranma nervous "Ranma, you know I'm famous for my deal making right?" Ranma just nodded, wondering where she was going with this. She had seemed so nice before, but now, she seemed utterly scary. "Well what if I said I want to make one with you?" Hild asked.

"Gulping, Ranma asked nervously "What sorta deal?"

Hild noticed his nervousness and said softly "I'm sorry Ranma, I didn't mean to make you nervous with that statement, I was just trying to be funny while I told you of an idea I had."

Ranma nodded, feeling that she was telling him the truth and then asked "What was this idea?"

Hild then told him of her idea "Well I'll help you get out of all your unwanted engagements, honorably and with-in mortal means," Hild began, then clarifying that for Ranma when he frowned "I mean by that, it will all be by what a mortal can do. No Divine or Demonic intervention stating 'He's not yours' or anything like that. I'll just be helping you get out of your unwanted engagements by ways you could do, if you knew of them."

"And since this is a deal, what would I have to do?" Ranma asked.

"Try out a relationship with me afterwards. No promise of undying love or marriage, no strings attached, just a stab at a relation ship to see if we could work out."

"You mean like a few dates like normal people start off their relation ships with? Just trying to be in a normal relation ship, and if it doesn't work out too bad maybe we can stay friends kind of thing?" Ranma asked in shock.

"Yep. That's about right." Hild said lightly.

"And you'll be helping me get out of them, not doing all the work yourself or doing otherworldly intervention or nothing?" Ranma asked, making sure of that part.

"Correct. I know you'd prefer it that way." Hild replied.

"You got that right." Ranma said in response to Hild's reply. Then he said "I don't really see a down side to this, so sure, why not?"

Hild smiled and said "You won't be sorry Ranma. Now who should we go after first?" She asked Ranma.

EAN: As to just why I ranked the Goddesses and Demonesses power levels like I did, it's simple. Hild is number one for obvious reasons. Urd is number two for a few reasons. One, she is both Urd and Kami-Sama's child, thus in reality, purely power wise, the third most powerful being in that reality. She just is limited by being a second class Goddess on the usage of her power, not the amount of power she truly has. Ranma could not sense the limitations, only the pure power level. Reason two is in this fic only. She is on of the few survivors of Ragnorok, even if she can not remember it. And the older Gods and Demons that survived from that time are more powerful then the ones born in this present time.

As to Marller be stronger then Belldandy and Skuld, those three have about equal power potential due to their parentage, at least in this fic they do, but Marller uses more of it as a higher ranking being. She is a Demon First Class Unlimited, while Belldandy is a Goddess First Class Limited, for as soon as Belldandy granted Keiichi's wish, she became a Limited First Class Goddess. Again at least in this fic. And Ranma just sensed that Marller puts out slightly more power then Belldandy. The rest of the group is obvious as to why I ranked them just where I did.

So who is going to be first to be cut off Ranma Fiancée list? See in the next chapter.


	4. FREEDOM PART ONE

AN: I'm ending one engagement in this chapter and setting up the ending of another. Plus I'm mangling some more of Norse mythology and showing you the bad guys. And yes, I'm portraying these characters as slightly OOC. Deal with it.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER THREE

FREEDOM PART ONE

FREEDOM FROM AND FOR THE MATRIARCH

In a nicely appointed Office in a high-rise in downtown Tokyo: A two days later

Ranma was laughing long and hard over a book in Hild's office. Not the one in Niflheim, oh no, one of ones on Midgard. More specifically, her Japanese law office.

Ranma was remembering just how Hild got him a copy of this book, a copy of the 'Amazon Law Book'.

Flashback to two hours ago in the same office

Hild walked into the room after being called out of it for a few minutes. "Here Ranma, catch." She said, throwing a book at him. He caught it and asked in a slightly shocked and curious voice after seeing the title of it, "Where'd you get this?"

"Oh, I had one of my lawyers got one off Mouse." Hild said nonchalantly as she sat down in her chair.

"How?" Ranma asked puzzled. No Amazon would ever let go of their copy of their precious law book.

"Oh, she told him that if we could borrow it, we might be able to find a clause in it that would let you not marry Shampoo. He just handed it over after that. Then we made that copy and gave him back his original, so as to not alert the others." Hild said with a small chuckle.

"That sounds like Mouse." Ranma said with a small chuckle.

End Flashback

Now Ranma was not chuckling, but full out belly laughing. So was Hild for that matter. "I, I can't, I can't believe this!" Ranma said, and then he continued his laughing.

Hild schooled her laughter, for the moment, and said "Yes, you, or you as a female have been an Amazon warrior for years according to this law." She said pointing to law 57921-Subection 12B "I can't believe these women!" Hild said with a chuckle "You, because you have a Nyan-nii-chuan curse, and because it was your female form that first bested Shampoo, you are considered a woman to the Amazon tribe, not a man, thus forever voiding you from the kiss of marriage. And the kiss of death is no longer valid, for you just have to beat the Amazon warrior who gave you such a kiss twelve more times. And you did it a lot more than that!" Hild said with a chuckle. "And you have to fight for your place in Amazon society, but with you having beat both Shampoo and Cologne multiple times, you should be considered their village champion, due to defeating both the previous village champion and one of their matriarchs. In fact you could even ask to formally challenge for the right to become a matriarch!" Hild said, then exploded into laughter.

"Once they both calmed down, Hild asked "Now, how to take advantage of this I wonder?"

"I know. I'll write them a letter, got a pen?" Ranma said then asked.

"I've got better then that. Oh Reiko?" she called to her human secretary of this office. Her secretary, a mortal who really did not know who Hild truly was, or who Ranma was for that matter, asked "Yes Miss Slain?"

"Reiko, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, call me Valarie!" Hild said. In this office, she played the part of an British woman who came to Japan run a law office she inherited. Sighing at her boss's lack of proper Japanese manners, she asked "Yes Valarie?"

"My client here needs to write a letter to someone in China. Can you take it down for him?" Hild asked sweetly.

"Sure I can." Reiko said, sitting down and pulling out her dictation pad, silently sighing as she thought 'Miss Slain is way too laid back for my tastes. But the pay is great so I'm not going to chastise her. Besides, it wouldn't be proper for me to.' So Ranma then started dictating his letter, on that sounded more like a part of a fiction story then a legal letter. Deciding that no questions would be the best thing for her sanity, Reiko left the room, promising to have it mailed out with the afternoon mail pickup. Hild meanwhile had not stopped chuckling at her secretaries expression while she took the letter.

Hild's law office: Three days later

Ranma opened the response from the Amazon tribe and froze in shock. After getting no response from the frozen Ranma, Hild took the letter and read it. "Wow." Was all she whispered.

The Tendo house: Two days later

Ranma was again up before everyone else in the house like every other day this week, but for once was not gone before every one was here, for Hild said she'd meet him here today.

Akane woke up and after coming downstairs and seeing Ranma, saw red. "Ranma you jerk! Where have you been? Out with your hussies or something?" Akane screamed at him while summoning her mallet.

"No, he's been with me." Hild said stepping into the room from the kitchen where she'd been helping Kasumi with her cooking.

"And who are you, his latest Fiancée?" Nabiki said with a smirk.

"Actually, no. I'm his and Kasumi's lawyer." Hild said coolly. "Here, this is for you Akane Tendo, and one for you Miss Nabiki Tendo. Oh and Here Soun Tendo and Genma Saotome, here are your letters as well." She said throwing the letters into the hands of the hiding fathers. "You have all been served. Good day gentlemen, ladies." Hild said with a nod. Then she asked "Ranma Kasumi, are you ready?"

Ranma picked up his pack and two suitcases that belonged to Kasumi and said "Yep." While Kasumi said

"I am."

"Good, the limo's waiting."

"What's going on here?" Nabiki all but shouted in shock and anger.

"Read the letter." Was all Hild said coldly. The three then left while all present opened their letters. As Hild's limo drove away, one could hear the screams of rage and the sobs of grief for miles. But as they originated at the Tendo residence, nobody bothered to investigate them.

The Neko Hanten: fifteen minutes later

A now female Ranma was getting out of a limousine, calling back into it, "Just stay in the limo, ok Kasumi?"

"Sure thing Ranma. Are you sure I'm doing the right thing though?" Kasumi then asked in a worried tone.

"Yes I am sure. You need to get out of that house as much as I do." Ranma said flashing a grin at the young woman.

"Trust me," Hild said, getting out of her side of the Limo "They were sucking you dry, a few more years, and you'd be a broken shell of a human." Hild said, shaking her head in disgust.

"Ok then." Kasumi said nervously. She was very scared at leaving her home, but Ranma and then Hild had been so convincing that leaving was the best thing for her to do. And then they asked her to join in on the suit Ranma would be leveling against the Tendo's. She hadn't wanted to at first, but Ranma was right, unless they had incentives never to bother them again, they would just get her back some how. She was still angry when she realized she had been somewhere between a servant and a slave to the household. And a willing one at that.

Now she would be out on her own for the first time ever, Even if Ranma and Hild were helping her, she would be largely on her own now and in the near future even more. She was honestly scared.

As they left the limo, Ranma whispered "I think Kasumi's scared or something."

"She is Ranma." Hild said in reply "She is like the bird leaving the nest for the first time, but she waited way too long to do so. She has gotten too comfortable in her cage, and it is up to her to see that being out of it is not so bad. We can help, but is up to her to see it that way."

Hild smiled as she said that though, for she had taken a liking to Kasumi and thought she'd pass the test of independence. She had first only come to include the young Tendo woman in this because Ranma asked her too. But the longer she spent around her, the more she grew to like her, a woman that was as kind and caring as Kasumi was could worm their way into anyone's heart. Even Hild's. Add in the fact that Kasumi didn't fear her or hate her in any way, but even liked her, well you have another case where the Kasumi charm snares another victim.

A second limo pulled up behind the one they came in and out stepped an angry Urd. "Where were you? You were supposed to meet me at the Tendo residence." Hild asked with a raised eyebrow as all of Urd's sisters and Pandora got out of the limo.

"Ryoga." Was all the vexed Goddess said.

"Ah." Hild said with an air of understanding, while Ranma giggled.

"Well you ready Ranma?" Hild asked.

Ranma's eyes sparkled as she said "Oh yeah." With great amusement in her voice.

And with that, they entered the Neko Hanten.

Inside the Neko Hanten: seconds later

"Son in law." Cologne said with some venom "What has she done with her powers to get you away from us?"

Ranma ignored Cologne's tone of voice and said "Nothing with her powers. We did it all within mortal means. I have a letter that belongs to you. I trust you recognize the stamp on it?" Ranma asked as Cologne nodded wordlessly.

She took the letter and read it, while shaking with fury. "I don't know how you pulled this off son in law, but once they find out that you've allied your self with her" Cologne said, pointing at Hild, when Ranma interrupted her as Shampoo and Mouse came in to see what all the yelling was about.

"Oh, they already know about her." Ranma said with a smirk. "They said anyone that could, and I quote 'Get the beast of Hell willing to take on the might of Heaven for the sake of love was to be admired.' They're even considering making her an honorary Amazon if I do get in a relationship that does go somewhere with her. And that's Matriarch Ranma to you Matriarch Kuh-Lon." Ranma said icily.

"What Airen mean?" Shampoo asked rather puzzled.

"Ohh, ohh, can I tell her, please, pretty please?" Hild asked like a little girl, and in a little girl type voice.

"Sure." Ranma said giggling at the sight of Hild acting like that. Hild then got her act together and said to Shampoo rather professionally

"It all starts with Amazon law 57921-Subection 12B." Hild began as Shampoo's eyes widened "You know the one that states that if some one has a Nyan-nii-chuan curse, it is their first form that fights an Amazon Warrior that determines their gender stats to the Amazon tribe. So your kiss of marriage is invalid to Ranma. And your kiss of death is also invalid because Ranma had beaten you twelve more times, thus making her an Amazon Warrior." Then Hild started giggling again. The Goddess, having not spent too much time over the past week truly observing Hild and Ranma truly interact, for their duty only let them observe Hild when she was in a situation that could lead to the corruption of innocents, and Hild while on Midgard, had, unless she was going to Nerima, been in her places of power that they could not enter. Like her law offices, other businesses and her home in Japan. So they had not seen Hild interact with Ranma for a week and were shocked at the way she was acting around him. The Demonesses, not so much surprised, but still, it was a small shock to them to see their Queen act this way outside her private areas.

After Hild stopped her giggling, she then continued with "With all the subsequent times Ranma beat you in combat, she took your place as the village champion. Her few defeats of Cologne here made her eligible to challenge for the right to be a Village Matriarch. And her defeat of Saffron has been considered her test" Hild stopped and smiled widely. "You are now looking at your Village's Head Matriarch's, Shower's, new heir, Matriarch Ranma."

Shampoo and Mouse gasped while Cologne shuddered. Ranma then smiled and said "And she left it up to me to see to you three's punishment. Attacking a fellow Amazon repeatedly did not endear you to my new Sensei Shower." Ranma said with a feral grin. "She is coming to Japan to see me in with in the next few days, and she expects me to announce my decision on your punishment their and then. If you give me no more trouble over the next few days until she arrives, I may be inclined to be, lenient, with you." Ranma told them with a shark toothed smile, and after that, turned around and walked out the door.

She managed to get in the limo before breaking in to howls of laughter, grateful for a sound proofed limousine.

Hel: The realm of the dead: in a secret meeting place

The ream of Hel was where all souls went when they died. Good or Evil. Asgard was where the Gods lived and worked. The souls that belonged to them went to one area of Hel. Niflheim was where the Demons lived and worked. The souls that belonged to them went to a different area of Hel. But Hel is vast, and no one knew that, where once stood the old rulers, Hel's, castle, it was still there, just hidden.

"Daddy, they're ruining everything!" Hel, the only daughter of Loki cried out. She had saved him and her brothers from being lost when the world was renewed, and they then started plotting their revenge.

"Yes." Loki's son Fenrir said "Things are not going according to plan." The giant wolf growled out.

"So what do we do about it?" Jormungand hissed out of his serpentine mouth. "This Ranma's actions were to lead to another Ragnorok, one WE would control. And he's slipping out of the fate we designated for him oh so carefully."

Loki sighed and said "We gave this Ranma too much power that was chaotic in nature. He's now out of our control." Loki sighed again.

"So what do we do about it?" Hel whined.

"It's too late to use Ranma. He's out of our influence now. We'll just have to learn from our mistakes and try again in a few hundred years or so." Loki said calmly. Then fire burned into his eyes and the Vanir ex-companion to the Aesir said "But we can't leave the culmination of hundreds of thousands of years of work on our parts fall into enemy hands. Ranma Saotome must die." Loki said with finality.

EAN: Ok, who here wasn't expecting me to go after Shampoo first? Sees no hands raised. Ok, who here was expecting me to make take a week? Still sees no hands. Ok, who was expecting me to make Loki a bad guy? Sees lots of hands. Good.

Tune in next time to see the next fiancée knocked off the list and more. See you then, bye for now.


	5. Supplemnet Not A Chapter! DO NOT REVIEW

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

SUBCHAPTER ONE

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRUE NORSE MYTHOLOGY AND AH MY GODDESS AND THE CHANGES I'M THROWING IN

Ok, since I really confused at least one person with the bit in Hel in chapter three, I'm glossing over the important bits of Norse mythology that I'm using, and then stating a few of the changes I've made to the sucker and what was pre changed. If you know this stuff, skip this and go onto the next chapter.

One the Yggdrasill was originally 'The World Tree' from which all life in all realms was created, and it traveled through all realms. In the Ah, My Goddess World, it's their 'Reality Monitoring Supercomputer', thus that's what it is in here.

Two, the Nidhogg was originally the name of a certain serpent that constantly gnawed on The Yggdrasill's roots. In Ah, My Goddess land, it's Niflheim's Reality Altering Supercomputer.

Three, The Aesir are now the Gods, while the Vanir are now the Demons. The Vanir were originally Giants, not Demons, but they were the Aesirs, who were Gods, or at least considered such as time went on, mortal enemies.

Four, Asgard was originally the home of the Aesir. Now it is home to the Gods.

Five, Vanaheim was the original home to the Vanir. Now Niflheim is.

Six, Niflheim was originally the world of the dead, with Hel as a subsection of it. It is now the home to the Demons, due to Ah My Goddess.

Seven, Hel, once a subsection of the entire afterlife where those mortals who died of sickness, old age, and accidents were judged and kept. Now due to me, it is where all things dead hang out.

Eight, The Norns. The original three Norns were Urd (Fate), Verdandi (Being) and Skuld (Necessity). They hung around the Well of Urd and determine a mortal's lifespan and fate. So they were uber-important and powerful. In Ah My Goddess, Verdandi's name was changed to Belldandy.

Nine, Loki was a 'Companion to the Gods' not an Aesir or even a Vanir. In my tale, he was a Vanir who was a 'Companion to the Gods'.

Ten, it was Loki who started Ragnorok.

Eleven, caused Ragnorok to start after being thrown out of Asgard for causing the death of Balder, an important Aesir.

Twelve, Loki was married to the Goddess Sigyn.

Thirteen, Loki had many good children that helped the Aesir. He even gave birth to one himself, the eight legged horse of Odin's Sleipnir.

Fourteen, Loki was not faithful to Sigyn. He had an affair with the Vanir Angrboda. There three children were monsters and two played very important parts in Ragnorok, and the third did so in this story.

Fifteen, Loki's first child was Jormungand, a giant serpent that eventually came to encircle the whole world. At Ragnorok he killed Thor.

Sixteen, Fenrir was a giant wolf that was bound by nothingness, and when it came to realize that nothing truly held it, Ragnorok began. In the original myth of Ragnorok, he killed Odin. That did not happen in this story obviously.

Seventeen, Hel was cast down by the Aesir to the realms of the dead, where she ruled over the subsection of Hel in it.

Eighteen, in this story, Hel, in the last moments before reality was reset, grabbed her dead Father and brothers and brought them to her castle in Hel, and then she dislocated it slightly from the main reality, so they were spared from being wiped out of existence when reality became kaput. After bringing her family back to life, they have been plotting to take over the new reality ever since.

Ok, that should bring anyone who's a little confused up to speed on how I'm going about changes from the true myth in this story, as well as get you updated on the facts of the true myth I'm using or changing. Now just hit the next button to go to chapter four.


	6. FREEDOM PART TWO

AN: To any one but Kasumi, Happosai, Cologne and Shower, no one knows Hild beyond her being Ranma's lawyer at this point in time.

AN2: keichan2 asked if their was a joke about the name Valarie Slain. The joke is a Valkyrie is called the 'Chooser of the Slain' and Hild was once the leader of the Valkyries in this fic, so that's the joke. I chose a first name that sounds a lot like Valkyrie, and the last name Slain.

AN3: I am getting a lot of flack about my chapter length. Well, as much as I'd like to write longer chapters, I'm not so good at it. I feel more comfortable with the shorter ones, but this story is being too short even for my tastes, so I'll endeavor to work on getting them up to at least four thousand word chapters soon, ok? Thanks for keeping on reading this though.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER FOUR

FREEDOM PART TWO

A MOTHER'S SAVING GRACE

In a very crowed limousine traveling on the streets of Nerima: Fifteen minuets after leaving the Neko Hanten

It had been discovered that the second limo had gotten two flat tires due to a Ryoga related incident, and everyone was now in one limo. Hild turned to the still female Ranma sitting next to her and asked "Are you sure you want to see your mother in that form?"

Ranma nodded and said "Yeah. I've gotta see if she can change her ways. I truly do love her, and I think she loves me, but this" Ranma said looking down upon her self "Has always come between us. I don't want to give her those papers, but I will if I must. I need to live my life as I see fit, and if she can stand this part of me, then she is welcome into my life, but if she can't…" Ranma trailed off there. Hild knew what Ranma meant. Ranma wanted his, or right now it was her, freedom, and she would welcome her mother along for the ride, if she could control her self. Hild gave the Elder Saotome woman a thirty five percent chance of not blowing it with Ranma. And she was sincerely hopping that Nodoka beat her odds, for Hild wanted to take Ranma and everyone else in the limo, and maybe even Ranma's mother, out to a congratulatory dinner tonight to celebrate Ranma pulling one over the Amazons, but if this did not go well, Ranma would defiantly not be in the mood to do so.

The Saotome residence: seven minutes later

Ranma stood on the doorstep ahead of all the Demonesses, Goddesses and Kasumi, and steeled her self for what just might be her hardest fight, and hardest loss, ever. Confronting her mother. After she felt she was ready, a feat which took a little over four minutes, Ranma knocked on the door.

After Nodoka came and answered it, she blinked at the sight of her now daughter Ranma and all the attractive and professionally dressed women, plus a thirteen year old girl in a woman's business suit, and finally Kasumi. Wondering just what her, at the moment, daughter had gotten herself into this time, she opened the door and said "Please come in Ranma, and your friends are welcome too."

As they sat themselves down in the living room, Nodoka asked sweetly "Do you want some hot water dear?"

Ranma sighed and got ready to face her mother "Not right at this moment. I need to talk to you in this form for now." Ranma said.

Nodoka stopped cold and asked "You aren't…"

"No I am not locked." Ranma sighed.

"Then why?" Her mother asked puzzled.

"Just sit down mom and I'll explain." Ranma said. Nodoka sat across from her daughter in an empty chair and stared at her, begging her with her eyes to just make some sense to her.

Sighing Ranma started "You know how pop's uses me like a bartering chip?" Ranma asked. Nodoka nodded fearfully, wondering just what her soon to be dead husband, if she got the correct feelings of things, had done now. "Well meet the first lady he sold me to. And, according to my calculations, he sold me to her long before the Tendo marriage pledge even." Ranma said with disgust in her voice.

"But that pledge was made before you were even born!" Nodoka exclaimed.

"Well this one was before he even married you." Hild said coldly.

Nodoka looked shocked as Ranma started to explain more "She's not a fiancée, her deal with Genma for me was much different, but the thing is, she'd like to be one." Ranma said with a small lopsided smirk. "I told her I couldn't even if I wanted to, which I think I might, because of all the other girls pops engaged me to. She then offered to help me get out of all the engagements I really don't want." Ranma then stated.

"How?" Nodoka asked slightly shocked at what she was hearing.

"I run, among some other things, a large law firm here in Japan. Ranma has hired me personally to help him legally and honorably get out of his other engagements. We have already taken care of the Amazons. It is just the Kuonji's and the Tendo's that are now left for us to deal with." Hild stated with a casual air of indifference.

"This is… most surprising, but why do you need to tell me this in your female form. I feel I'm missing something." Nodoka asked, suddenly afraid.

"We," Hild began, "before we took care of the Amazon engagement, served some papers to all present at the Tendo's, which was all the Tendo's except Kasumi, who I have also been employed to represent in this matter by Ranma, and your husband Genma. The papers were, among other various things, lawsuits and restraining orders." Hild smiled evilly. No where near as evil as she could, for that would give Nodoka a heart attack, but one evil enough to scare the living daylights out of her.

Looking over at her current daughter, she saw Ranma eyes were damp with tears. "Mom, I need to make a decision about you." Ranma said flatly. Nodoka's heart skipped a beat at those words. "I need to know, can you love me like this?" Ranma said, gesturing over her currently female body. "Can you give up the 'Man among men' crap and love me just as Ranma, your son and your daughter? I love you mom. I love you more then words can say, but, but you hurt me mom. Every time I see you and you spout off about manliness, I get hurt a little more. I can never be a 'Man among men' for I truly am half a woman. I am now even a Matriarch in the Amazon tribe, if you can believe it." Ranma then slightly chuckled. Then growing morose again, she said "Mom I truly do love you, and I want you in my life, but you've hurt me too much for me to just unconditionally let into the new life I'm creating for my self." Ranma then pushed a document and a letter in front of her mother.

"What, what are those?" Nodoka asked with a lot of fear in her voice.

"Your choices." Ranma said flatly, holding in her tears. "You've left me no choice mom, but to give you an ultimatum. If you sign the document on your right, you can be apart of my life as long as you abide by the rules written on it. If you feel you can not do that, you must take the letter on your left. If you sign the document and break contract, you will get the letter on your left soon there after. The letter will ensure that you will never be able to see me, or my family whenever I get one, for as long as you live. The document stats that I am free of your 'Manliness' obsession, and you will not require me to be so. Both contain other things of course, but you should read the document to see what they are."

Nodoka read the entire document, eyes wide at what it said. She finally realized just how bad and how hard she had pushed Ranma away from her with her with her fixation on her son being 'A man among men'. She cursed whatever had given her that ludicrous idea, and the she cried even harder. Ranma loved her. He, she, who cared, wanted to be with her, but Ranma was so frightened of her that he had to do this. She whispered "I am not even fit to be called a mother, am I?" As she reached for the pen sitting besides the document.

Ranma, and everyone else had heard the angry whispered question of Nodoka, and Ranma said in a hushed tone of voice, while Nodoka got ready to sign the document "I'm sorry that I have to do this to you mom."

After she finished signing, Nodoka looked up with an emotionally drained face and said "No, Ranma. I'm sorry I made you have to do this to me."

Then both mother and daughter collapsed into tears, and Kasumi, Hild, and Belldandy shooed everyone present, including themselves, out of the living room as the two Saotome women collapsed into each others arms while in tears.

Many hours later: at a French restaurant called Ivory Towers, in downtown Tokyo: at dinner time

After a good and long cry by Nodoka and Ranma, they re-got them selves presentable and headed over to a restaurant Hild had made reservations for them. Ranma had decided to in his female form, as a test for her, at the moment, mother. She needed to see if she truly could abide by the rules that she had set up.

They had all been having a good time, and making small talk for a while when Nodoka turned to her presently daughter and asked "Ranma, why do I get the feeling that there more to all this then what you've told me? Like what Miss Slain" she said, gesturing over at Hild, for she did not know her true name or true position, "Deal was with Genma?"

"That's because you haven't gotten the full story. And I won't give it to you for a while." Ranma said she then looked down and said "I'm sorry mom, but I don't want on one beyond who already knows to know."

"That's ok, for now dear. You will tell me some day though, right?" Nodoka asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah, when I'm ready, you'll be the first to know." Ranma said, looking up with a smile.

The rest of the dinner went very smoothly, so smoothly that Hild even asked Nodoka if she like to move in with Ranma and Kasumi.

"Where did you get them logging?" Nodoka asked, looking at her daughter to see if she was agreeable. Ranma slowly nodded her head, surprised that Hild suggested it. Though she thought it would be nice.

"My mansion has a guest house in the back that's quite large and no one uses. I would be honored if you would stay there." Hild told Nodoka.

Nodoka's eye's widened. Then narrowing her eyes she asked "This is… How is Ranma paying you for all this? Service like this is never free, and you are going way to far with it." Nodoka slightly accused.

Hild narrowed her eyes, and then sighed. "Miss Saotome, I make no effort to hide the fact that I am interested in a relationship with your child. As to why I made room in my guest house, it is because we can get to know each other better this way, living on the same property. Ranma felt it was prudent that until he is free from all engagements, he not live in the same house as me, and I came up with this as a way around that." Nodoka's eyes were still narrow, as she processed the information. "As to my fee, it was for three dates, with the option to have more if we find ourselves compatible." Hild said flatly.

Nodoka's eyes went wide, and she looked at Ranma. "She the first woman I've ever been really interested in mom." Ranma said softly. "I agreed to this because I really do think I could make it work out with her, and even if I can't, I'll be free of a bunch of loveless engagements."

Nodoka steeled herself and said to who could very well be the mother of her oh so sought after grandchildren, "Very well I except. I do want to get to know the woman who finally captured my child's heart better after all."

"And I look forward to getting to know you better as well." Hild said with a small nod.

Dinner was finished soon there after and they all went to their respective homes.

Hild's mansion: about two thirty in the morning.

Hild had no real servants living in her Midgard Japanese home, for when she needed them, she just summoned them. So when she felt her alarms get tripped by a Goddess teleporting through them, she was pissed that some snot nose Deity was disturbing her at two thirty in the morning! She wanted her sleep! When the knocking started, she considered, just this once, to break the doublet system she and Kami-Sama had come up with. Surly he would understand that a woman such as her self needs her beauty sleep, right?

As she got to her door, she flung it open to find it raining and a slightly drunk Urd was there looking at her with pain in her eyes.

Hild forgot all of her worries at that point. She saw her daughter's pain and then her daughter spoke with a slight slur, saying "Why mom? Why do you love him so? And why don't you love me?" And then, as Hild stood in silent shock at her firstborn daughters painful question, Urd fainted.

"I guess you were more drunk then you seemed." Hild sighed, as she lifted her daughter and brought her in to her house.

And in an office in Asgard, a father smiled.

EAN: Ok, it will be not the next chapter but probably the one after that when I get back to the fiancée mess. This chapter was dedicated to Nodoka and Ranma's relationship, and the next one will mainly deal Urd, Marller and Hild's. That one may take a while though, so don't expect next day delivery like with this chapter. I got REALLY inspired to write this chapter.


	7. FREEDOM PART THREE

AN: In regards to the first scene, I couldn't help myself! I really felt the need to somewhat lighten things up before the soul searching angst-fest. It came out of the blue to me and bitch-slapped me into writing it!

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER FIVE

FREEDOM PART THREE

A MOTHER AND DAUGHTERS REUNION

Hild's mansion: seconds later

Hild sighed as she set her drunken daughter Urd out on her couch. Calling out for her other daughter Marller, she exclaimed "Marller I need you over here now!" listening to her reply Hild said "I don't care if you want to go to sleep now, I have a drunk and passed out Urd on my couch, I need you over here right now!" Hild semi-yelled out.

Marller then popped into the house facing Urd and the couch. "Yep, Urd's plastered alright." Turning to her mother, Marller gasped in shock "What, what are you wearing!?!?!" Marller managed to get out.

Hild looked down and said "My nightgown of course." Wondering what the problem with her attire was.

"That is NOT a nightgown! That is the raciest negligee I've ever seen!" Marller shouted at her mother, completely forgetting how she usually acts around Hild in the shock of seeing her mother in an outfit like that.

Hild looked down at it again, looked up, raised her left eyebrow, and dryly said "If that's the case I really must expand your horizons. This is almost my most conservative sleeping outfit." As Marller gasped in her shock at that statement, Hild sighed and said "I think your sister came here to start a conversation that you really should be a part of as well."

"And what conversation would that be?" Marller asked with curious suspicion

"Urd said, and I'm quoting here," and then Hild went into a perfect imitation of Urd's voice, saying "Why mom? Why do you love him so? And why don't you love me?" Hild then shook her head to clear it. "I am tired of both my own daughters thinking I am an evil bitch that doesn't love them, and tonight we're going to clear this up. If only Ranma was…" Then there was a knocking sound at the back door. Since Marller was closer to the door, she answered it. What she found was a female Ranma in a negligee that put Hild's current one to utter shame. As Marller stood in ridged shock at seeing Ranma of all people in an outfit like that, Ranma walked around her saying

"Hey Marller. I felt Urd come here earlier, but her power felt kinda funny. Is she alright?"

"She's just confused and drunk." Hild said shaking her head. "I was about to have a little family meeting, and was wishing you were here for it. Ask and you shall receive I guess." Then, looking at Ranma's state of dress, Hild sighed and asked "Do I even want to know?"

"Mom suggested a sleepover with me as a girl to start proving she could handle it. So I got into one of my female sides night outfits I own." Ranma said with a shrug.

"Were you trying to give your mother a heart attack with that outfit?" Marller almost screeched out.

"No. Sadly this" Ranma hissed out "Is my most conservative female form only sleepwear." Ranma sighed "I got almost all my female sleepwear for a photo shoot with Nabiki to 'Pay off some of my debts'. In other words I bought these things so I could be photographed by Nabiki in them and then she could go and sell them at school or where ever because I was blackmailed into it." Ranma then calmed herself down and asked "But enough about my little problems, what's wrong with Urd?" Ranma asked in worry.

Hild, knowing about the photo shoots, could calm down after a few moments. After getting herself calm enough to answer Ranma, she first thought 'I knew he was blackmailed like that, but if this was his tamest outfit for those photo shoots…' and then she finally cleared her head and said "You know what I've told you about how my daughters feel about me, right Ranma?"

"Yeah." Ranma said sadly. Ranma thought it was an utter shame that the circumstances of their lives had torn what could have been a loving family to shreds, making them all no more then mere work associates.

"Tonight I'm going to fix it." Hild said with steel in her voice.

"And you need me for help, or just for support?" Ranma asked confused as to why Hild had wanted her here.

"Probably both in all honesty." Hild said shrugging.

Marller at this point finally got her self out of her rage, and had missed the entire conversation between Hild and Ranma. "What's going on?" Marller asked confused.

"I'm going to brew some coffee for your sister to help her wake up." Hild said, heading for the kitchen.

"While you do that, I'm going to go to the bathroom to get some hot water," Ranma called out to Hild.

As Hild nodded in her approval, Marller said "But you're wearing…"

"Hidden Weapons Space." Ranma replied with a smirk. "I always carry a change of clothes now a days." And with that, she went in the direction of the nearest bathroom.

When Ranma returned, properly dressed for his male side, Hild was trying to get a half awake Urd to drink some strong coffee. She also was wearing a high collared floor length bath robe. Probably due to Mara's seeming reluctance to look at her mother in her previous outfit.

Then they all sat down and waited for Urd to collect herself enough that they could all actually have the talk that Hild's been waiting for for too many millennia to count.

Hild's mansion: fifteen minutes later

It was fifteen minutes of angry silence later, and Hild had utterly had it. "Urd," Hild said in an exasperated tone "You came here to start a conversation with me, so when are you going to start it?"

Urd was looking down and whispered almost childishly, "Don't wana."

Hild then started to get angry. Yelling out "I don't care! We're having this conversation NOW! And nobody's leaving the room until we do!" and with that statement, Hild through up a barrier spell around the room, trapping all of them in it. Urd gasped at what her mother had done, and Marller seethed in outrage. Ranma just examined the barrier while thinking 'Huh, this could get ugly.' And then he started looking for bolt holes if and when things got rough between mother and daughters.

"Now why have you always thought I hate you Urd! I keep telling you I love you, and you keep throwing it back in my face! And you," Hild screamed, turning to Marller, "Why have you distanced yourself from me? You know I love you, yet all you do is treat me like I'm an abusive boss!" Hild finished screaming. Hild had finally lost her patience with her daughters, and she was in a small rage. She would finally get her answers on why both her daughters hate her.

Urd responded first screaming "You abandoned me!"

"I did not!" Hild screamed in reply.

"Oh, then just what do you call leaving me to be raised by dad's heavenly host! He didn't have much time for me, but he, at least, made an effort! I saw him every day or so. You, on the other hand, I was lucky if I saw every decade!" Urd yelled out.

"You are a Goddess Urd! I am the Queen of all Demons! I am not welcome in Asgard, just as you are not welcome in Niflheim. That's why I hardly ever saw you Urd, you live in a place I can't go, and the opposite is also true! I could only see you when you were on Midgard, and until about a year ago, that wasn't that often!" Hild yelled back at her daughter.

Turning to Marller, Hild asked "And just what is your problem with me? Why did you distance your self from me all of a sudden?" Hild yelled through just forming tears.

"To protect myself!" Marller finally yelled out after a moment's silence.

That stopped Hild cold. Growling, she asked in a clipped voice "What do you mean?"

"I became one of your agents, and everyone knew I was your daughter! They knew, or thought they did, that you'd give me all the breaks! So I had to make them see that I hated you and you hated me, so that I wasn't in danger, ok? And don't say I should have told you, I had to handle that myself! You couldn't protect me all the time, and I needed to prove to myself I could do it without your help." Looking down, Marller went silent and said "I still love you mom, and I know you love me, and Urd as well, but I needed to prove to my self I could handle things on my own. Maybe I did things wrong, maybe I did them right, who knows, that's all in the past." Looking up, Marller said "I truly had no idea how much I was hurting you, or myself for that matter, now that I think of it."

Hild was in silent shock. Marller still loved her and always had, she just was hiding it to prove something to herself and to try to protect herself. As Hild came out of her slight daze and was about to say something, she saw that Marller was about to speak to Urd, and decided to stay silent for a moment more.

After turning to Urd, Marller said "Urd, you have no idea how many nights I spent growing up listening to mom cry herself to sleep over you. Get your head out of your ass and see the light sister. She loves you, and she always has. It was her position that drove her away from you, just as it was her position that drove me away from her. So stop blaming her for this mess. If anything, blame the fact that she was called upon to be the Queen of all Demons!"

"Well then it's still her fault! She chose being the Queen over her family!" Urd yelled

"Do you really believe that? I had no choice but to take the position!" Hild yelled out in outrage

"Oh, really, and why is that?" Urd sneered

Hild sighed "To explain that is to tell you a story that should never be told aloud to anyone ever." Everyone felt the barrier that Hild had put up strengthen "But I guess I'll have to tell you it for you understand." Hild then took a deep breath, while everyone present felt that their entire world view was about to get a kick in the pants. Then Hild began her story of the death of one world and the birth of another.

Hild's mansion: hours later

After Hild finished telling her tale, everyone was silent for a while. Then Urd spoke up, saying "Mom," Hild's heart lifted at hearing that "You've never been a true mother to me, but I think I see now that that was because of the fact that you never had the opportunity to." Urd steadied herself and said "You at least deserve the opportunity to be a mother to me, even so late in my life. I'm willing to try to be a daughter to you, if you'll be a mother to me."

As Hild's heart soared, Marller said "Even if I pushed you away, I always saw you as my mother. I just didn't realize how much I was hurting the both of us like this. If you'll have me back, I'll be your daughter again." Marller said, slightly teary-eyed

Hild was still for a moment, and then had both of her daughters in a double hug before anyone could blink. She was crying hard, and all anyone could make out of her tearful words were "My babies came back to me."

After Hild had cried herself out and was calm again, Urd said "You know, there's still one thing left to talk about."

"What?" Hild asked while cleaning her face off

"Just why you're after Ranma." Marller said as Urd nodded

"I think Kami-Sama said it best. He makes me feel like Freya again." Hild started off with as everyone stared at her. "But really, does one ever truly know what triggers attraction or love?" Hild asked shaking her head. Then, with her head dropping, she said "Girls, Ranma, I'm suddenly very tired. Maybe we could go to lunch tomorrow and discuses this more then?"

Looking around the room, Ranma said "Every here looks exhausted. I think Hild's right, we should continue this tomorrow."

Urd and Marller nodded in their agreement, and then Hild dropped her barriers. They then immediately teleported directly to their beds, where they fell asleep with in moments. Hild then started to walk to her room and her bed, while Ranma left out the rear door.

A small café in downtown Tokyo, near Hild's law offices: about one thirty in the after noon on the next day

Ranma didn't know just why he was here. He had spent the last few hours in this little café with Hild and her daughters as they started to patch things up between themselves, but he was feeling like a fifth wheel. Or was that a fourth? No matter. He just came to the conclusion that Hild wanted him here for emotional support or something like that. And he was willing to help her with that.

It seemed the conversation was winding down, and Urd was inviting her mother and sister over for dinner at her place, some kinda temple, when Hild's phone rang. Answering it, she said "Hello? Uh-ha, ok, well I'll be there in person to pick her up. What time? Ok seven tonight got you. Thanks Reiko, good bye."

Putting her phone back in her purse, it rang yet again. "Yes? That's good news Hikaru. No, no, just leave it with Reiko and I'll pick it up. If I remember correctly you wanted to go home early for your son's birthday party? Well far be it from me to stop a father from keeping a promise to their son. Just leave it with Reiko and go on home, you did great."

Then Hild's phone went back into her purse. She stared at her purse for a moment, like she was daring her phone to ring again. After she looked up she said "Well it seems that Shower is coming in today at seven. She wrapped things up faster then she expected. We're to meet her and her party at the airport tonight, so maybe tomorrow at your place Urd?" Hild asked.

"Sure. It gives us more time to prepare that way." Urd said nodding.

"And the second call was from the lawyer I put in charge of looking in to the Kuonji claim. I know that you said she already had lost the cart to the Gambling King Ranma, but that is your word against hers. And besides, even after she supposedly lost it, her father still managed to retain possession of it, at least until your father left with it." Hild shook her head. "Well Hikaru said he found something important that could help you case against her, but I just had him leave it with Reiko because he wanted to go to his sons birthday party today. Any way, if he left something out of the report, I can always ask him about it tomorrow." She signaled for the check and then said "Well do you girls want to continue to stay with me today as I work, or do you need to go?" Hild asked.

"I guess we could help." Urd said flatly, but with amused eyes.

"Sure, why not?" Marller said "It is my job to help you." She said in a content tone of voice.

"Well then," Hild said as she got handed the bill, "Let's get going then."

EAN: Well in the next chapter you'll see the start of Ukyo's disengagement from Ranma, and the arrival of Shower the head matriarch of the Amazon Village and Ranma's new mentor. This was no where near the length I said I would be aiming for, but oh well, I got everything covered that I wanted to cover. And gee, I think this was next day delivery, wasn't it?


	8. FREEDOM PART FOUR

AN1: I don't want to hear a word about the legality of minors betting, ok?

AN2: This chapter took some time because I took a break from it for a little while because I was really tempted to do something really stupid in this chapter. I probably still did something stupid in it, but at least it was not that.

AN3: I'm still sick. Oh so sick. So updates will be about once a month until I'm better. But then again, I am updating multiple stories at once because of that though. So take your pick.

AN4: Thanks to GunnerRyu for going over this chapter.

A BLACK HEART STILL BEATS

CHAPTER SIX

FREEDOM PART FOUR

WATCHERS IN THE DARK

Hild's law offices: Hild's office: a few hours later

Hild, along with Marller and Urd, were trying to get Ranma to see reason. "Just what is your problem with this plan Ranma?" Hild finally asked with a sigh. She just did not see his problem with it, it was a perfect solution to the Kuonji mess.

"He cheated to get the cart." Ranma said, like that explained everything. And to him, it did.

Hikaru had found the current location of the Gambling King, and asked him about the bet for the okonomiyaki cart. And he had surprisingly remembered that bet, probably due to the welshing of it, and signed a statement saying he won the cart from Uyko, and she had welshed on her bet, never paying him. Hild had suggested that they use these new facts to their advantage somehow. Either by offering to help the Gambling King get compensation, or even better yet by doing that and then offering Uyko legal representation as well, if she admitted that since her father no longer owned the cart, she had no legal claim to Ranma. They'd do that anyway even if the only one they represented was the Gambling King, they'd just make a suit against Uyko after the Gambling King got his compensation from Uyko about it.

Ranma was slightly against this idea, mainly because he felt that by cheating, the Gambling King really did not own the cart. Hild sought to make him see reason.

"Ranma, did you or did you not say you felt that Uyko only wants you so she can be a woman again, and she is in competition with the other girls for you, and does not and will not listen to anything you say to her?" Hild asked.

"Yes." Ranma said slumping his shoulders.

"Then she truly needs a wake up call Ranma. She got herself into this mess with the Gambling King, and it is perfect thing to use to get you out of her engagement. She must decide what to do, and how to get herself out of this mess. This is an almost perfect answer to get you out of her engagement, for no matter what happens, I see you being free from her engagement, either by her choice or by the courts rulings. It's a totally win-win situation, if only you'll allow it." Hild said seriously.

Ranma gulped. He knew that it was a good plan, but it would really hurt Uyko. Even more then Shampoo was being and going to be hurt if he was right about things. 'But, she never listened to me about only wanting to be friends, and then she had bombed my wedding. Even if I never was going to marry that tomboy, she should have trusted me to do the right thing for me. That's it! I've gotta do the right thing for me, and not worry about her at the moment. I might be able to help her out later, but right now I've gotta focus on my self.' He thought. Ranma then finally said aloud in a resigned voice "Do it."

"I know that was a hard decision Ranma, but I think you made the right one." Hild said softly. Then she said in a more normal tone of voice "But I don't think you should be there when she's told, at first at least that is. I'm giving Hikaru the Gambling King's case. I think I'll send…" And then Hild started to go through her lawyers' case files, to see which one could take on Uyko's case if need be, "Hmm, well Goro has enough time it looks like…" And then Hild called in Reiko. After she came in the room Hild just handed her a note saying "Take this to Goro. Tell him if he has any questions, which I'm sure he'll have, see me at eleven tomorrow."

"Yes Miss Slain." Reiko said, taking the note as Hild sighed.

After Reiko left, Hild softly muttered "She is way too uptight." To which Urd and Marller giggled.

Then Hild said, while looking at the clock "Well, let's got to the airport. We have some guests to pick up."

Then Urd said "Shouldn't Ranma change? I mean Ranma…"

Ranma cut her off saying "Yeah, I should. If I'm meeting my Amazon Sensei, and I think I should go looking like an Amazon." Ranma said while he grinned, and then getting up, he headed for Hild's private washroom.

Hel: the realm of the dead: Hel's hidden castle

"Do we have enough Lost Souls for the job?" Loki asked to his children

"Yessss." Jormungand hissed out.

"I worry about their power levels." Hel said with true worry evident in her voice. "If Hild's with Ranma when they…" Hel began, when Fenrir interrupted her

"The shear number of lost souls we're sending will assure the boy's death even if Hild is there to protect him."

"But…" Hel began in response when she was interrupted by her father

"No buts! Now that Ranma is now longer following the destiny we set for him, he must die before he awakens into his true power! Can you imagine what would happen if he did? Not only would our enemies get a huge boost in strength, our greatest asset, which is they do not know that we still exist, would be taken away! His awakening would practically scream out that we did this!" Loki screamed at his daughter in rage. Mellowing out, he calmly stated "Send out all the Lost Souls. Ranma Saotome will die this night, and we shall slink back into the shadows to strike again when the time is ripe."

And then his children scrambled to do his will.

Tokyo International Airport: seven forty two at night

"Why are planes always late?" Marller growled out as they sat waiting for Showers flight to arrive.

Before anyone could respond to her rhetorical question, over the loudspeakers came the call "Flight 247 from Beijing, China now arriving"

"Finally!" Marller exclaimed as she stood up. Ranma, Hild and Urd stood up quickly as well, and they then went to meet the Amazon party as they disembarked.

Hel: the realm of the dead: Hel's hidden castle: at the same time

"I found them. They are at an airport. Shall I send in the Lost Souls now?" Fenrir asked his father.

"No." Loki said in reply. "There are too many of the enemy there. And while the number of mortals there would impede them from responding, the number of enemies present would be, problematic." Loki then said.

"But, it seems that they will be together for most of the night!" Hel screeched out. "And the Lost Souls have to be used in the next three hours, before anyone notices they're missing from their prison!" Hel shouted.

"True." Loki admitted. "If anyone noticed that the Lost Souls were out of their confinement, it would be a bother. And it does look like they will be together for most of the night. What to do?" Loki mused.

"Might we hit them when they are traveling?" Fenrir suggested. "They would be hampered by the cars, I believe they are called, that they will be traveling in."

"Yes, that could work." Loki admitted, continuing with "And if we set the Lost Souls on them at the proper time, there would be many mortals around for them to have to deal with as they panic. Good idea Fenrir."

Thank you father." Fenrir said.

Tokyo International Airport: a few moments later

"Welcome Shower Sensei." A female Ranma said while bowing to her new mentor.

"Hello Ranma. Hmm, one of the first things I think you will need to learn will be how to speak Mandarin." Shower said seriously.

"Yes, Sensei." Ranma said in response.

"And call me Shower, until you learn how to say my name properly." Shower chided her new heir.

"Ok, Shower." Ranma said in an amused voice.

They then walked over to the luggage dispenser, and Shower asked, as her three companions, one other Matriarch with her young heir and a male servant, got the luggage for the group, "Have you decided on their punishment Ranma?"

Ranma then answered "No, I have not. For I decided that I do not know enough about your laws, even wit reading the law book, to come up with a truly appropriate punishment for them, I do not want to be too harsh on them, yet I do not want to be very lenient either. I was hoping you could help me come up with an appropriate punishment for them, one that is not too harsh to them, but is fair for what they have done." Ranma said evenly.

"Hmm, I could help you find an appropriate punishment for them. We could use this as a way of teaching you some of our laws. And also use it to teach you just how we administer justice in our tribe." Shower said in a light tone of voice.

"Ah, that's a good idea. Everything should be used for training, no matter what it is." Ranma said with a laugh.

"Very true young one, very true." Shower said with her own laugh as the other three came over with the luggage.

"Well Matriarch Shower, may I ask you what you wish to do now? We can either go out to dinner, or, if you are tired from your journey, we can take you to your hotel." Hild then said as the luggage had arrived.

"Well, I'm not tired, and food sounds good to me, what about you, Brush?" Shower asked of the other Matriarch.

"I will admit to being hungry." Brush said. Then Brush turned to the last female of the group and asked "And what about you? Are you hungry Moisturizer?"

"Yes I am." Moisturizer said with a nod.

Then they all looked to the lone male of the group, who bowed and said "This one is hungry as well. Thank you for asking me."

"Well, with Razor's agreement, it's unanimous!" Shower cackled out. "So, where were you planning on taking us for our meal Miss Slain?" Shower said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Please, just call me Hild in private." Hild said while Shower chuckled and nodded. "As to just where I will be taking you, that depends. What type of food would you like to eat?" Hild then asked them.

They looked at each other, and then Moisturizer said softly with embarrassment, "Well, we have always wanted to try a good, authentic, American style burger. I we know though, that the Japanese then to, um, not do it as the Americans do it, so if you know of a place that serves an authentic style American burger, we would appreciate it."

"Hmm, I know of the most authentic American style burger restaurant in all of Tokyo, if that is truly where you all want to go." Hild said with a small smile.

"Yes," Shower then said. "These two," She said pointing at the Moisturizer and Razor "Have always wanted to try a good burger, and I'll admit, I am curious on them as well."

"Very well then, shall we get going then?" Hild said with a nod.

"Yes, lets." Shower said as they hefted their luggage and headed out to Hild's limo.

Hel: the realm of the dead: Hel's hidden castle: at the same time

"The restaurant seems the best place to hit them then." Fennier said with a growl.

"Yesss, that's true." Jormungand said with a hiss in response.

"Do it." Loki commanded. "All the mortals that will be their will impede their response." He said with an evil grin.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Hel said as she prepared the Lost Souls for transport to the Midgard.

And they all watched the viewing portal for the right time to finally strike out and end the threat to their Anonymity.

EAN: Again, it was short. But then again, I felt that this was a good place to end this chapter. So tune in next time for some action! (And hopefully a longer chapter.) See you then.


End file.
